If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 95

“What… do you mean?”

Georgiana’s eyes trembled slightly.

“You’re clearly not a runaway slave, but isn’t it possible that you have circumstances preventing you from revealing your identity? That’s why you get uneasy whenever the officers come.”

At Raymond’s precise remark, Georgiana felt her heart drop as if the chair she was sitting on had suddenly collapsed into the ground.

How did he know?

She had never discussed this problem with anyone, nor had she taken any steps to resolve her identity issues.

There was no way he could know—unless he could see straight into her mind.

Unconsciously, she averted her gaze, and a flicker of unease appeared in Raymond’s golden eyes.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t bring this up to make things difficult for you, Leona. On the contrary, if this truly is an issue, I want to do everything in my power to help.”

She had prepared for the day he would ask about it. But she had never expected him to speak with such concern, offering his help instead of demanding an explanation.

For a moment, she was at a loss for words, and a strange tightness filled her chest.

Her gaze toward Raymond gradually softened, and she bit down on the corner of her lip to swallow the emotions welling up inside her. She couldn’t cry in front of him, not when she didn’t even understand why she felt this way.

Looking back, there were very few people like Raymond.

How could he trust her so much when she couldn’t even reveal her identity?

Her own family had been desperate to see her suffer, yet Raymond, a complete stranger, continued to believe in and support her.

How nice it would have been if someone like him had been her real brother.

A deep sigh escaped her lips at the thought.

She could no longer bring herself to lie to someone as kind as him.

Clenching her fists as if making a resolution, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Raymond… actually, I…”

She had been about to reveal her real name when a sudden thought made her hesitate.

If she told him her true name, he might remember that Locke and Henry had been listed alongside her on the wanted posters. She had assumed they would have used fake names, yet absurdly enough, Henry had kept his real name, and Locke’s wasn’t much different.

She had pretended not to know anything when Raymond had introduced them, but would it be right to reveal it now?

Moreover, if she was going to tell him, she should inform Locke first rather than deciding on her own.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she decided to reveal everything except what involved Locke.

Georgiana poured herself a cup of tea from the teapot she had brought from the dining table. After moistening her dry lips, she pulled her chair closer.

“The truth is, I came from the Empire. I wasn’t born here.”

“I thought as much. Aside from your way of speaking, there’s something about you that feels out of place here in the New World.”

Raymond’s reaction was calm.

That made it a little easier to continue.

“I was once a member of a fallen noble family. To earn money, I worked as a governess.”

“Then how did you end up here?”

“I ran away. My family tried to sell me off for money.”

“What? What kind of family does that?”

Raymond shot up from his seat, his face contorted with anger.

“It’s common in the Empire. When money runs low, children are the first to be cast out.”

It wasn’t just daughters—even sons who weren’t firstborns were often sent away to mines or remote work sites.

Of course, cases like hers, where children were sold to pay off gambling debts, were rare. More often, it was done out of sheer desperation to survive.

“That must have been difficult.”

Raymond let out a heavy sigh and looked at her with a pained expression, as if he was the one suffering.

After a brief pause, Georgiana continued, “I saw an advertisement looking for a bride and boarded a ship to the New World. Unfortunately, my family found out the day before and took my identification papers. Fortunately, someone helped me, and I managed to make it here…”

“It must have been quite the ordeal. You had no documents or family to vouch for you.”

“Yes. I was chased, and I nearly got into serious trouble.”

Looking back, she could only describe her life as one full of hardships.

At every turn, she had encountered obstacles.

But despite everything, she had endured and made it to this point, and that made her proud.

She didn’t need to accomplish something grand.

She didn’t need to amass great wealth.

As long as she could continue standing on her own two feet, that was enough.

“Then your current name isn’t your real one.”

“No.” Georgiana immediately shook her head.

“I am curious, but can I trust that you’ll tell me when the time comes?”

“Of course. When the time comes for me to reveal my name, you’ll be the first to know, Raymond.”

At her response, Raymond smiled in satisfaction. “Then what will you do about the officers who keep coming?”

“I’ll have to find a way.”

She could send a letter to the Empire to find a way to prove her identity, but that would risk revealing her location to her family. Just imagining Willow showing up here to capture her was terrifying.

But she didn’t want to buy a fake identity either.

There had to be another way, but no clear solution had come to mind yet.

“If you can’t find a suitable way… you can use me.”

“What?”

“If necessary, I can become your family.”

“Family?”

Was he suggesting he introduce her as a relative?

Tilting her head in confusion, she watched as he spoke again, his expression firm as if he had already made up his mind.

“You can say we’re engaged. Or we could actually get married.”

“W-what are you saying…?”

She was more flustered by his words than when he had figured out her circumstances.

As Georgiana blinked at him in shock, he continued, “Of course, part of this is because I want to help you. But more than that, I want this for myself. It would be good for Angela, too, and I can’t imagine this house without you anymore. If your identity might put you in danger, I want to help you in any way I can.”

“I…”

She was at a loss for words, her mind thrown into chaos.

Georgiana was completely taken aback. She had thought Raymond and Locke were completely different types of brothers, but now, they overlapped in the most unexpected way—both of them proposing marriage to her.

Of course, unlike Locke, Raymond was doing this to help her. But still, he was essentially suggesting a fake marriage.

A contractual marriage, a fake engagement.

Both were burdensome to her.

Before she could respond, Raymond must have sensed her hesitation, as he lowered his head slightly and spoke in a subdued voice.

“I know that, unlike you, I’ve already been married before. That alone makes me unworthy. I also understand that even pretending to be engaged might be uncomfortable for you.”

“Unworthy? That’s not true at all.”

Even as a widower, Raymond had many suitors across the South.

She had even heard that some people found his golden eyes all the more captivating because of the sadness within them.

Love letters and invitations flooded the mansion constantly.

His smooth forehead, partially covered by his golden hair, his gentle eyes with slightly upturned corners, and his lips that spoke in a kind, warm voice—

There was no flaw to be found in his appearance.

His tall frame, built with just the right amount of muscle, was also rare.

If Locke had a sharp, restrained handsomeness that gave off a dangerous air, then Raymond was his complete opposite—a classic beauty, refined and dignified.

And yet, he still called himself unworthy.

Seeing him belittle himself, Georgiana shook her head again.

“If you truly think that, then take your time to consider. If another solution presents itself, you can always choose that instead.”

Raymond’s proposal was entirely for her sake.

But… becoming family with him.

Even if there wasn’t another reason, the idea didn’t sit well with her.

Even if it wasn’t real, she couldn’t marry both brothers.

“It’s not that I find you unworthy or have any other issue with you. I just like things as they are. I also can’t take on such a big debt.”

“So you’re refusing.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. But if you ever change your mind, please let me know. I’ll be waiting.”

She couldn’t bring herself to reject him outright, so she responded with silence.

“I didn’t bring this up to see you make that expression. Anyway, the garden is truly beautiful. I also heard that the embroidery hanging in Angela’s room was your work. You’re quite talented.”

He smoothly changed the subject, returning to his usual self.

“If there’s a design you’d like, I’ll make one for you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Even if she couldn’t accept his proposal, she still wanted to do something for him.

Using the garden as an excuse, she sent Raymond back inside first, then rested her cheek on the table with a weary expression.

She always maintained a proper posture, but today, she couldn’t summon the strength.

She was still troubled.

Raymond’s proposal was absurd, yet she couldn’t think of a better solution.

At any moment, an officer could take her away.

“What should I do?”

“What do you mean, what should you do?”

Scrape.

The sound of a chair being dragged across the floor.

Locke sat down across from her with a thud.